Heroes of HR

Live from isolved Connect in Charlotte, William Tincup and Ryan Leary sit down with Amberly Dressler, VP of Corporate Marketing at isolved, to uncover how a vibrant brand and thriving user community can drive adoption, advocacy, and trust. In this episode, they explore what makes isolved more than a software platform—from a pink cape movement to customers turning into evangelists. Amberly walks th...

Live from isolved Connect in Charlotte, Ryan Leary and William Tincup sit down with industry analyst and keynote speaker Stacey Harris for a candid conversation that starts with leveling up HR—and doesn’t let up. From who really controls HR tech budgets (hint: not always HR) to why women in HR leadership still need more data to be trusted, this episode breaks down the hidden dynamics shaping the p...

What happens when a product leader with 13 years of HCM experience still prototypes with sticky notes? You get real innovation—built from the ground up, user-first. In this episode, Kelli Rico, VP of Product Management at isolved, joins us live from isolved Connect in Chicago to share how her team turns napkin ideas into powerful platform features. From customer co-creation and UX-led design to pr...

HR isn't just about payroll and PTO—it’s about protection. Live from isolved Connect in Chicago, we sit down with Tom Von Jess, Director of Strategic Partnerships at LegalShield, to unpack the overlooked benefit every employee actually needs: legal support. From navigating assisted living contracts to identity theft recovery, Tom shares how LegalShield is helping HR teams bring peace of mind to wo...

AI isn’t the threat—fear is. Live from isolved Connect in Chicago, Joey Price joins the Heroes of HR podcast to talk about the real tension in today’s HR landscape: navigating technological change without losing your grip on human connection. From soft skills to return-to-office strategies, Joey lays out how HR professionals can calm the chaos, shift mindsets, and thrive in the age of AI. He chall...

Healthcare HR isn’t just about policies—it’s about people. In this episode recorded live at isolved Connect in Chicago, we sit down with Emma Birriel and Christine Padilla from Shared Imaging to talk about the realities of recruiting, onboarding, and employee care in healthcare. From working in mobile imaging units to handling benefits confusion, they break down what HR looks like when it’s human-...

Forget buzzwords and look at what’s actually holding HR teams back. It’s not AI. It’s paper. In this episode, we sit down with Amberly Dressler, VP of Corporate Marketing at isolved, to unpack her new book Center the Pendulum and the real stories that inspired it—from applicant tracking bottlenecks to generational filing cabinets in Alaska. Amberly shares what it means to document transformation,...

When you're the only HR pro in the building, control is easy—letting go isn’t. Live from isolved Connect in Chicago, Emily Arthur, HR Director at Riverhawk Company, shares what it means to run people ops solo at a 100-person manufacturing firm in upstate New York. From recruiting skilled CNC machinists to building talent pipelines with local colleges, Emily walks through how she handles hiring, on...

What makes or breaks a customer relationship? It’s not the product. It’s the path. In this episode, we sit down with Jura Slattery, Head of Customer Success at isolved, live from isolved Connect in Chicago. With decades of implementation experience and a strong philosophy on trust, Jura unpacks why great support starts before go-live—and why most vendors get it wrong. From emotional intelligence t...

Scaling a business is messy. Doing it while managing HR, payroll, and compliance from a distance? Even messier. In this episode, Macy Ewing—CEO of Aaronson Group—joins us live from isolved Connect in Chicago to talk about her transition from truck insurance underwriter to leading operations for a rapidly growing virtual company. From paper-based retirement plans to compliance thresholds that come...

Sometimes HR isn't about solving problems—it’s about hearing them clearly. Live from isolved Connect in Chicago, Donna Miller, Employee Relations Manager at Phil Long Dealerships, shares how three decades in the automotive industry shaped her people-first approach. From turnover challenges to commission delays, Donna opens up about what she’s hearing from the ground and how she’s helping leadershi...

This isn’t about phishing emails or stolen credit cards. This is payroll fraud—organized, scaled, and already inside your systems. Live from isolved Connect in Chicago, fraud prevention leader Steve Lenderman sits down with William Tincup to reveal the silent crisis sweeping payroll operations. From transnational crime rings and deepfakes to credential farming and spoofed login portals, this episo...

What happens when long-tenured employees meet new tech, and a swim coach becomes the HR lead? You get creative adaptation, empathy in action, and a code of conduct for kids. Live from isolved Connect in Chicago, Samantha Kenworthy, HR Coordinator at Skyline Center, shares how she’s navigating digital transformation in a nonprofit world—where mission matters, tenure runs deep, and change doesn’t co...

Insurance changes, community impact, and why empathy still wins. In this episode, Melanie Zakrzewski, Payroll and Benefits Supervisor at Kendall Hunt Publishing and Westmark Enterprises, joins us live from isolved Connect in Chicago to break down what happens when HR leads with people first. From overhauling a 15-year healthcare plan to building bikes for local kids, Melanie shares how culture sho...

When you’re the first HR pro in the building, every decision counts. Live from isolved Connect in Chicago, Dianne Vaughn, HR Manager for a radiology group in Chattanooga, shares what it’s like to build HR from scratch—no playbook, no precedent. From tackling pay disparities with Excel to solving talent gaps in a competitive healthcare market, Diana walks us through how she’s stabilized a workforce...

Implementation doesn’t end at go-live. That’s where the real work begins. In this episode, live from isolved Connect in Chicago, we sit down with Sandy Barnett and Theresa Breunig—Directors of Optimization at isolved—to unpack how the optimization team bridges the gap between system setup and business outcomes. From recalibrating systems post-launch to unlocking untapped value inside isolved, they...

You can’t automate empathy—and that’s the difference. In this episode, recorded live at isolved Connect in Chicago, industry veteran Pamela Stroko joins William Tincup to talk truth in HR tech. With over two decades across Oracle, analyst firms, and practitioner trenches, Pamela cuts through the noise around AI, hiring mistakes, and vendor hype. She shares lessons from launching The Five Talents T...

Retention doesn’t start at renewal—it starts at go-live. Live from isolved Connect in Chicago, Megha Shah, SVP of Relationship Management at isolved, joins us to unpack what it really means to build lifelong customer partnerships. In this episode, Megha breaks down the shift from reactive support to proactive enablement, how her team uses active listening and roleplay to scale trust, and why optim...

Michelle Hamilton from Adore Me joins the Heroes of HR podcast to discuss flexibility in job applications, navigating career changes, and the value of community. With insights from isolved’s customer service excellence and the People Heroes community, this episode is packed with actionable advice for HR professionals. In this episode, we look at HR, job applications, career growth, flexibility, co...

In this episode of the Heroes of HR podcast, Jaylene Owens shares her experiences as an HR professional in Sitka, Alaska, navigating the unique challenges of talent retention and employee wellbeing in a remote community. From the critical importance of mental health to leveraging AI and automation to enhance HR processes, Jaylene highlights the role of ‘People Heroes’ in creating a supportive work...

Summary: In this episode of the Heroes of HR Limited Series podcast, William Tincup and Ryan Leary sit down with Brandon Rumler, Executive Director of Skyline Center, to explore the unique HR challenges in the nonprofit sector. From talent acquisition hurdles to the transformative power of isolved’s HR technology, Brandon highlights how passion and thoughtful employee recognition drive success. He...

Summary: In this episode of the Heroes of HR podcast, William Tincup and Ryan Leary sit down with Isela Conley, Director of Talent Acquisition at isolved, to explore the evolving world of recruiting and employee experience. From her journey from accounting to talent acquisition to the critical role of AI and data-driven insights, Isela provides a candid look at the challenges and opportunities in...

Summary: In this episode of the Heroes of HR podcast, William Tincup, and Ryan Leary are joined by Amy Mosher, Chief People Officer of isolved, to explore the evolving role of HR in workplace transformation. With over 25 years of experience, Amy dives into optimizing talent acquisition with AI, the significance of performance management, and the transformative power of strong company culture. She...

In this episode of the Heroes of HR podcast, Sagar Lakhani brings over 11 years of HR expertise to the table, sharing insights on navigating the shifting landscape of talent acquisition, employee expectations, and payroll management. From the importance of quality in hiring to adapting to post-pandemic workforce needs, Sagar emphasizes the role of HR in improving employee lives. With isolved as a...

In this episode of the Heroes of HR podcast, we’re joined by Mary Kay Kirgis, HR Director at Guttenberg Municipal Hospitals and Clinics, to dive into the unique challenges of healthcare staffing. From addressing the nursing shortage to creating talent pipelines through community engagement, Mary Kay shares actionable insights for HR professionals. With isolved as a trusted HR solution, she highlig...